These close escorts despite being woefully ineffective as combatants are fairly effective as deterrents to marauding forces. Many a merchant trader owes a debt of gratitude to the long-serving Gazelles and Fieries of the Imperial Navy and local sector navies. Not the best fighter, bet often there when you need them. [1]

It is fitted with jump-5, maneuver-5, and power plant-7 drives, and fuel tankage for 81 tons of fuel. To this basic package is added disposable 100-ton fuel tanks to provide the total fuel necessary for the drives. However, with these tanks installed, the ship tonnage is increased to 400 tons, which reduces the ship's performance to 4-G, jump-4, and power plant-5. The tanks may be dropped to allow the higher performance, but the ship then becomes restricted by its lower fuel supply until the tanks are replaced. The ship has fuel scoops and a purification plant, and can refuel by skimming gas giants. The standard bridge has a Model/6 computer installed and the ship has four hardpoints. Two of the hardpoints allow five tons each, which allows the installation of particle acceleratorbarbettes if desired. The remaining two hardpoints sport triple laserturrets. The ship hull is heavily armored. The ship has eight staterooms, four for officers and four for double occupancy by crew members.

A 20-ton gig, itself armed with a laser mount, is slung beneath the ship, with interlocking hatches provided. The gig is capable of 6-G and carries six acceleration couches and three emergency low berths. It can also carry two tons of cargo.

An important aspect of the ship is its interior layout; the ship was designed at a time when mutinies were a major threat to security. As a result, major bulkheads break up the ship into distinct areas — some for crew members, some for officers, and some common to both.

Comments: Hundreds of Gazelle class close escorts have been built and many remain in service in the Imperial Navy, despite the fact that in a combat situation, they are nearly worthless. The close escort, even when new, was not intended to stand up to combat vessels; rather it was envisioned as an anti-piracy and revenue patrol ship. In that role, it has performed well, but when pressed into combat duties it has invariably suffered disproportionate losses. [15]

An Imperial Navy standard class built by the hundreds, and a common component of Navy task forces in the Marches. Designed specifically to protect the line-of-battle against enemy skirmish forces and for general escort duty, the class is well-armed for its size and type. L-Hyd fuel tanks may be dropped in extreme circumstances, allowing Jump-5. The tanks must be replaced unless a severe reduction in jump ability is to be tolerated.

General Specifications: Naval tactics in the Imperial Navy call for large ships to be accompanied by well-armed, small fighting craft capable of engaging the enemy at long range, before they approach the principle ships in a task force or convoy. These small ships may be fighter craft carried by the larger ships, or they may be independent close escort vessels.

Thousands of close escorts have been built in the past several centuries, and hundreds have been built in the Gazelle class. Many remain in service in the Imperial Navy, despite the fact that in a combat situation, they are nearly worthless. The close escort, even when new, was not intended to stand up to combat vessels; rather it was envisioned as an anti-piracy and revenue patrol ship. In that role, it has performed well, but when pressed into combat duties it has invariably suffered disproportionate losses.

The original specification (through CE-13791) called for the use of Particle Acceleratorbarbettes on the dorsal/ventral hardpoints. This was the first experimentation with this weapons system on a smaller craft. It was a respectable weapons configuration, however tactical simulations proved out in field trials, resulted in all new orders, and some completed ships to be refit, with the Laser/Missile configuration. The Al Morai design team was the first departure from the standard spec, brought on by the fact that their ships would be in private hands.